Prescriptions to Narrow a Consumer/Organizational Buying Behavior Logical Inconsistency

Abstract

This paper "re-visits" and extends a point made by Johnston and Bonoma (1977) that a logical inconsistency exists between behavior research. Although the organizational market is larger than the consumer market in dollar purchases, organizational buying behavior has failed to receive the degree of academic attention allocated to consumer buying behavior. Two streams of inquiry are proposed to remedy this logical inconsistency.The first stream of inquiry argues that neither viewing the unit of analysis as an individual nor viewing the unit of an analysis as the organization captures the essence of the organizational buying process. Instead, it is asserted that a more fertile ground for organizational buying theory discovery and justification may be found through use of a combinative process. Secondly, the paper advocates the importance of neglected individuals internal factors to the study of organizational buying behavior.Lastly, a normative model of organizational buying behavior is created which incorporates individual internal factors.